LightScribe-enabled CD/DVD disc drive

[BJ_M]

http://www.lightscribe.com/index.aspx

RADIAL WRITING. IT'S A RADICAL REVOLUTION IN DISC LABELING.

Once you’ve burned your first LightScribe label and experienced the amazing result, you’ll never want to use a marker pen or sticky label again. LightScribe makes it so easy. It’s truly a revolution in disc labeling.

How does it work? How can you burn a permanent label onto your disc right from your computer?

Suppose you have just created a compilation CD of a dozen or so of your favorite songs. Now you want to make a label that contains the song titles, artists' names, and some personal information and design elements to make it special. First, burn your tracks onto the data side of the disc. Then open your favorite LightScribe-enabled label-making software and go to the CD template work area. Now you do all of your creative design work—compose pictures, copy, artwork … whatever. When you are satisfied with what you have done, take the disc out of your drive, flip it over to the label side and put it back in the drive. Now go back to your label-making software, and simply click "print." Voila! It's just that simple! No ink, no messy markers, no clumsy adhesive labels … just an amazingly beautiful label right before your eyes.

LIKE TO KNOW MORE?

Your LightScribe-enabled CD/DVD disc drive contains a special laser that pumps light energy into a thin dye coating on the label side of the disc. The light from the laser causes a chemical change in the dye coating that shows up as a visible point on the disc. With laser precision, LightScribe delivers a closely controlled quantum of light energy to multiple points on the disc as it spins in the drive. The result is a high-resolution reproduction of the artwork, text, or photos you composed in the software application. Seeing is believing!

[Capmaster]

I can see the big downside as being the cost of the burner, and the special media it no doubt requires.

Pretty cool idea though ....much more aesthetically pleasing than burning some klugey text on the data side

[yoda313]

Hello,

What's wrong with using a sharpie???? Heck of a lot cheaper!

Kevin

---btw - you really DO have a lot of time to kill BJ_M ---

[NightWing]

Its a HP concept I think. Problem is its like the idea of Yamaha. Gooce idead but did not survive the market place.

It would be water proof.

[MikieV]

Problem is its like the idea of Yamaha. Gooce idead but did not survive the market place.

Maybe, but the "Kiss of Death" for the Yamaha version - IMHO - was that you could only use it on a partially filled disc. It was the unused portion of the media that was written on.

This format will be higher priced, due to: having two lasers (I would guess?) and the 2nd dye layer on the disc - but at least you can fill the media-side of the disc with this format.

If they are too late in the development cycle for DVD/CD burners, can they get in early with Blue-ray and/or HD-DVD?

[BJ_M]

no - one laser is all (you flip the disk) and no extra cost in making the burner as all it is is a firmware change .. i am told that many exsisting burners can be upgraded ...

[noki]

from their site...

Or you can add a LightScribe-enabled CD or DVD optical disc drive to your existing computer. And LightScribe-compatible CDs and DVDs will literally cost pennies more than conventional media.

so yes you need a special drive PLUS special media. Thinks it would be cheaper to farm out the work to a pro unless you need thousands of discs labeled. would be interesting if current burners can be modified. then I probably would not mind paying more for a spindle or two of the special media; unless they cost like $1 per CDR and $2 per DVDR. then all bets are off....

[snafu099]

HP did a news release about this some time ago, was suposed to hit market last quarter of 04.

News release stated they would license the technoology.
interesting hype, but like the old ad - wheres the meat?

Have not seen anything current since

anyone seen a burner, upgrade or even media?

[NightWing]

If Epson and others did not release cheep printers and with cheep printable media this would be a slam dunk.

How many B&W tv are being sold today?

[painkiller]

LightScribe-enabled consumer products will be available beginning in January 2005.

The above comes from their current site:

http://www.lightscribe.com/faq.aspx

[freestyler]

old news
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=765901#765901

I'm interested to see how much the discs will be

[NightWing]

Wonder if it will be basically be made like two sided media?

[freestyler]

it'd be nice if crayola introduced a disc that had a writable / erasable top with special markers, sorta like their kids art stuff

[NightWing]

That would be nice.

The one Item I would really like is a DVD RW with a printable top. Sounds stuped but since I carry a set of disk I am always updating it and stuped to keep makeing new disk and reprinting on the top. Oh well!

[headstash420]

It all comes down to the price of the media. If there is a significant premium onthese special disks, why not buy an $80 epson to print directly on your regular printable dvd's?

[BJ_M]

old news
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=765901#765901

I'm interested to see how much the discs will be

it not old news in that the web site i linked to did not exist in jan 4 , 04 when the other post was made ....

it is 'further' news then if that is better wording

[painkiller]

I still can't wait for it myself.

Instead of spending $30.00 every other month for labels, I would rather flip the disc over and use the laser.

No more ink AND label(s) to consume.

[NightWing]

If it super cheep to license for both media and drives. Plus at least 3/4 of the industry goes for it. Then it may work.

It feels like one of those ideas that would have been better a few years ago.

[Skoorb]

This IS cool, and it may ultimately replacing labelling. However, I had a labeller and although I liked it I quickly found myself reverting back to a sharpie, because it's fast and frankly I don't care how pretty a disk is, if the label has the information I need on it. This wouild be nice for backing up movies though and having a pretty label on them.

[RabidDog]

This might be a runner IF you can firmware upgrade existing drives .. but people arent going to ditch their existing drives just for this unless they are a video company or something similar. Also the cost and availability of media is another factor.
(jaz disk's @ £10 for 3 come to mind)

[Paul_G]

The current LightScribe technology supports monochrome (grayscale) labeling.

Monochrome in 2004?. that is like people going from a colour tv to a black & white one.

I wonder whats next from them, maybe a portable player for 78s or something what lets you copy audio CDs/Cassettes to LPs.

[raffie]

Did y'all see who's already licensed this? http://www.lightscribe.com/newsrooml.aspx?s=h

among others:
-Ahead Software
-Philips
-LiteOn
-Memorex
-TDK

It also sais on the site that no special hardware is needed, so perhaps really only a firmware upgrade is required?!
I think this is a great idea, this would be a great alternative to using a sharpie.

[BJ_M]

The current LightScribe technology supports monochrome (grayscale) labeling.

Monochrome in 2004?. that is like people going from a colour tv to a black & white one.

I wonder whats next from them, maybe a portable player for 78s or something what lets you copy audio CDs/Cassettes to LPs.

nothing wrong w/ monochrome and perfect for a lot of corporations/schools/etc who just need to label ...

[NightWing]

There are a few reasion for this to suceees.
1) Its waterproof.
2) Do not need expensive ink cart after X disk.
3) Does not need a printer to print on it.

There are a few reason why it wont.
1) B&W only {Ok its sepia color }
2) Can see people putting it in wrong for both print and burning.

[Capmaster]

I wonder ...if this process burns the non-data side, it must be somehow burning the reflective layer. If it's doing that, how does that affect media longevity? Those layers aren't very thick, and discoloring one side enough to have it pass as a label must be also discoloring the other side, since the metal layer is being heated up.

Any thoughts? Is this off the mark?

[BJ_M]

off the mark -- see proccess

[Capmaster]

off the mark -- see proccess

Ahhh ... I had read that after you started the thread. I forgot they have a special dye layer on the non-data side. Thanks

[NightWing]

If they modified the dye layer like a tv screen they could develope color. RGB format. But color.

Or could you also burn data on the other side? If they gave this option then it would be a major plus.

[BJ_M]

i was thinking also it would not be to hard to do some colors -- at least two like a dual layer .. since that dye is splatter applied - you really couldnt do "pixels" like rgb .. at least for now ...

[SilverBlade]

current labels on DVD media screws up DVD players unless the media is made to have a label on it. Would this process screw up playability on DVD players?